The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-19
DEATH BY FIRE.
Complete Destruction of an Elegant Hotel
Twelve Lives Reported Lost.

Deacf0Ct1On Elegant
Twelve Lives Reported Lost.
BUFFALO, N. Y, March 18.-Fire was discov
cred at $3.50 o'clock this morning in the new
Richmond Hotel at the corner Of Main and
Eagle streets. The alarm sounded and the
fire department responded promptly. The hotel
was opened for business about month ago and
handsomely fitted and decorated, and was filed
with guests last night The fire spread with
frightful rapidity, and the guests, rudely awak
ened from their slumbers by the horrifying cry
of Fire." rushed to the windows and other pos
sible avenues Of escape. When they saw the
flames shutting off their way to the ground their
heartrendering shreks could be heard blocks
away Ladders were raised and large number
rescued. but at o'clock it was reported that at
least thirty lives had been lost. The hotel
burned like tinder-box, the corridor in the CEN
ter of the building acting a great funnel.
The FIRE spread to the Bunnell Museum building.
adjoining on Eagle street, and small frame
building adjoining Main street, and the three
structures were entirely destroyed. One guest
jumped from fifth story window on to the
roof of the frame building mentioned.
He was completely naked, and lay helpless
on the roof. He was taken down and conveyed
floor two guests were seen to fall back into the
flames. Three Of the servant-girls are thought
to have perished Two lady guests. one with a
child in her arms, were rescued from fifth floor
front room at o'clock. They had tainted. and
narrowly escaped death. Another guest Is at
Carney's saloon, near by, internally injured, and
will probably die F. H. Bryant New York
travelling man, is badly burned about the feet
and hands. Mr. Stafford the proprietor OF the
hotel, was aroused by the night clerk, and had
barely time to put on his coat and trousers. He
stood on the corner opposite his hotel for a min
ute, gazing the burning structure. and then
burst into tears, moaning: my God! my Cog!
some of them burning. I cannot bear to
hear their cries. and he put his hands to his
ears to shut out the cries of the victims.
At 9 o'clock tho estimate of the loss Of life
was reduced to twelve. but this is, in a measure,
mere guesswork. There were one hundred and
twenty five persons in the hotel. seventy of
whom were transient guests. eight boarders,
and the remainder porters, bell-boys families
of the proprietors and clerks. Twenty two of
these were rescued from the windows by the
iremen. twenty-five at the hospitals, and
| large number made their escape by other
means.
The origin Of the fire is not, as yet, known
William H. Airport, the night clerk, says:
THE fire started in the cloak-room, under the
main stairway. at $50 o'clock There was no.
body up but myself, Joe, the night porter, and
Plummer. the bell boy. I pulled all four of the
| fire alarhO pon the different foors and the peo-
pie came flying downstairs in their night
clothes. The fire followed the elevator, and in
side of fve minutes it reached the top floor.
rushed out of doors after doing all 1 could"
| Bell boy Plummer tells his experience as fol-
lows: II was busting the reading-room when
| heard a shout and saw the flames coming up the
stairway from the basement. Mr.. Airport and
| turned on the hose under the main stairway
| We Strengthened the hose out and turned the
| valve, but the water would not rum Then we
| gave the alarm. The watchman and l got a
| plank and broke in the Eagle street entrance to
the hotel. Then got the plank under the fire
| escape on Eagle street. and we helped people
down. I think there were about eighty four
guests in the house"
The spread of the flames is said to have been
| frightful in its rapidity The elevator shaft
served flue for the flames, and they rushed
up it to the top floor in a very few minutes AS
exits cut off they turned to the windows They
could be seen in their night clothes standing out
clear and vivid before the lurid background of
| the flames. Their screams were horrible to
hear, and could be heard for blocks. The flames
spread to the southeast side of the hotel irst
At 410 o'clock the whole building was ablaze,
with six streams Of water playing on the north
end, but the brisk wind was battling the efforts
of the fremen By 4:3O the fire had enveloped
the northern half of the block, and, speeding
around to Washington street, Bunnelrs Museum
was embraced in its destructive grasp and be-
fore AS was a ruin. At 4:43 the south wall fell
on the frame structure on Main street occupied
by Creighton's saloon and Palaco's cigar store.
Two minutes later another section fell and com.
pletely demolished this structure. At 6 o'clock
the spread Of the fire checked The ground
floor OF the hotel building was occupied by Ul
brich & Kingley's stationery store Peter Paul
g. Bro g stationery store and the Boston cloth
ing house. all of which ars total loss The
reading-room and office of the hotel also occupied
portion of the ground floor fronting on Main
street. The corner occupied by the Boston
clothing house was to have been fitted up as
the office on May l. Nothing Is left standing OF
the hotel building, except portion of the walls.
The loss will be very heavy. The hotel was
fitted up at cost of about 500 900, and the build
ing was valued at $500 Bunnells Museum
was built at cost of $50 000 aud the loss to the
interior fittings will probably amount to $25, ,000
While the fire was in progress brave rescuine
; party, consisting of William A. Carney, jr as
sisted By fivc others, did heroic work, rescuine
several persona from the flames. Among the
number was Nora Sweeney. a charbcrmaid